Black Panther 2 and Black Adam Now Likely to Skip China Release

With the arrival of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in theaters today and Black Adam continuing its run, we now have two major comic book movie releases that are happening at the same time in most parts of the world. However, it looks like the two aforementioned films may not show up in one of the biggest theatrical marketplaces.

The Hollywood Reporter has reported that sources from the Chinese industry are indicating that both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Black Adam are now unlikely to receive approval for theatrical release in China. However, nothing official has been set yet at this point.

In the case of Wakanda Forever, the move may not be surprising since all MCU films since Black Widow have not received a theatrical release in China as well as some of the Disney films. No reason has been stated yet for its potential snub in China, but it is speculated that it could be due to its depiction of the LGBT relationship with Aneka (Michaela Coel) and Ayo (Florence Kasumba).

For Black Adam, there have been rumors in the past couple of weeks that it might be skipping a theatrical release in China due to Pierce Brosnan's association with Dalai Lama, who is seen as a dangerous separatist by Beijing, and several celebrities have been previously banned for the same reason.

While the DCU film's snub in China has not been confirmed, a major Chinese movie theater chain has reportedly "stopped hoping" that it will get a China release since the country usually approves foreign releases around four to eight weeks in advance prior to the North American release date.

If both films will end up skipping a theatrical release in China, it will have major effects on their box office, especially Black Adam which has had an underwhelming performance so far. Wakanda Forever is expected to be a major box office hit even without a release in China.

Also Read: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever International Box Office Hits $10.1 Million

For now, let's just wait and see for any official word regarding their theatrical release status in China. Both films are showing in theaters in the rest of the theatrical market around the world.